Looking Good with Chemicals ? !!!

Did you know that every single morning before we leave our homes we have exposed ourselves to about 200 chemicals?

Think about it. Let's go through a typical day...

We shower...and what kind of soap do we use? Is it handmade by us so that we know that it's chemical-free? What! Chemicals in soap? Yes ! Did you know that the FDA is being sued for allowing triclosan and triclocarban, (thyroid-damaging toxins) in anti-bacterial soap.?

We shampoo and condition our hair. Then we apply deodorant. This is true of both men and women.

Then we ladies will use some type of moisturizer on our face and body. After that we put on our makeup: foundation, blusher, eyeshadow, mascara and lipstick. Then we may apply nail polish or perfume. We look and smell good. But...200 chemicals have just been applied to our bodies!!

As American consumers we have every confidence that someone in a lab coat in a big government building has checked out these substances that we have just applied to our bodies. Right? Not exactly

It's like this: Cosmetics - on which Americans spend about $22 million a year - come to us virtually unexamined by the Federal Government.

To get a prescription or even an over-the-counter drug, a manufacturer must first prove the drug's safety and effectiveness to the FDA. That's not the case with cosmetics. The law governing them says that they may not contain "harmful substances".

What is considered "harmful" is left up to the manufacturer!!

So...it's up to us as consumers to educate ourselves about the potentially cancer-causing chemicals in our cosmetics and personal care products. Once we've done that then we need to read theingredients listed on the labels.

Presently the FDA itself is looking into Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) which are added to most skin creams.

Their purpose is to help smooth out fine wrinkles. However, research has shown that these chemicals may make the skin more susceptible to skin cancer and perversely to even more wrinkling from the increased sensitivity to sunlight.